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About

Returning for its sixth year this November, GRAPHIC is a festival that celebrates the art of graphic storytelling, animation and music at the Sydney Opera House.

Since its inception in 2010, GRAPHIC has evolved into a festival unlike any other, commissioning and presenting specially created works from influential figures including Neil Gaiman, Art Spiegelman, Shaun Tan and Jim Woodring, through to musical-visual performances from Gotye, The Cinematic Orchestra and Ludovico Einaudi. Featuring Mad Max creator George Miller and animated performances from Ólafur Arnalds and Sarah Blasko last year, GRAPHIC introduced a free series of talks and screenings that will continue this edition of the festival. We look forward to seeing you in November!

#GRAPHIC2016

Festival Curators 

GRAPHIC co-curated by Ben Marshall, Head of Contemporary Music at the Sydney Opera House and Jordan Verzar. 

“GRAPHIC exists to highlight and champion those singular voices in comics, animation, illustration and contemporary music that are capable of producing great art, but are usually passed over in traditional arts conversations. I think there’s no better embodiment of this idea, dead or alive, than Matt Groening – which is why we’ve been chasing him to appear at GRAPHIC for six years. We can’t quite believe the moment’s finally here and doubly thrilled it’s with his close friend and cartoonist extraordinaire Lynda Barry." Ben Marshall

“Every year when programming GRAPHIC, we are lucky enough to have multiple moments when we get the chills – hair standing on end, adrenaline coursing – when something years in the making comes to fruition. We can’t wait to share the secrets that Matt Groening will bring to light, or the live score that George Lucas has personally approved – and the many other surprises in store throughout our program. I'm exceptionally happy to present such a huge program of free art this year and a heavy focus on local content with appearances by some of Australia's most beloved cartoonists, eye-popping animators and visual satirists.” Jordan Verzar 

History

PAST GRAPHIC FESTIVAL LINE-UPS

2015

  • Mad Max
  • The Walking Dead Premiere
  • Sarah Blasko 
  • Animal Logic
  • Olafur Arnalds
  • Nicola Scott in conversation
  • The Mindscape of Alan Moore
  • The Nightingale and The Rose
  • A Cautionary Tale
  • Brendan McCarthy Brutal Force
  • Future Shock: Story of 2000AD
  • She Makes Comics
  • Kevin Smith Superhero Multiverse

2013

  • Art Spiegelman's WORDLESS! with music by Phillip Johnston
  • Grant Morrison with Gerard Way (ex My Chemical Romance)
  • Robot Chicken Live featuring Seth Green, Matt Senreich & friends
  • Ludovico Einaudi with visuals by Claudio Sinatti
  • The Cinematic Orchestra featuring 40-piece Sydney International Orchesta with specially commissioned visuals by The Light Surgeons
  • Dave McKean: 9 Lives
  • Francoise Mouly
  • Len Wein
  • Nobrow Press featuring Luke Pearson and Sam Arthur
  • Animal Logic
  • Radio with Pictures feat. Claudia Karvan and Marieka Walsh

2012

  • Pixar: Behind the Screens
  • Fat Freddy's Drop: Blackbird an Animated & Illustrated Album Preview
  • Dr. Seuss Meets Elefant Traks
  • The Good Game: 'Roffle Cup' Live
  • Animal Logic's History of Computer Animation
  • Peter Bagge's HATE! & Other Neat Stuff
  • Radio with Pictures feat. Lawrence Leung and Nina Las Vegas

2011

  • Gotye: An Animated Album Preview
  • Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing with live score
  • Tekkon Kinkreet with live score by Plaid, FourPlay and Synergy
  • Percussion
  • Jim Woodring: Please Stand By
  • Silent Comics feat. Gotye, Plaid, Seekae and Nathan Jurevicius
  • Understanding Comics with Scott McCloud: The Art of Visual Communication
  • Masaya Matsura: Play, Sound & Vision
  • Reg Mombassa
  • Eddie Campbell on the lovely Horrible Stuff
  • Peter Kuper's Revelations and Art
  • Talking with Gods: A Grant Morrisson Documentary
  • Best of the Independent Games Festival

2010

  • Neil Gaiman's The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains illustrated by Eddie Campbell and live scored by FourPlay
  • Kevin Smith
  • Shaun Tan
  • Akira rescored live by Regurgitator
  • Shaun Tan's The Arrival live scored by Ben Walsh and the Orkestra of the Underground
  • Best of the Independent Games Festival 2009
  • Focus on Fantagraphics with Gary Groth